Midfield star, Thabo Cele, is determined to play a role in restoring Kaizer Chiefs to their rightful place at the summit of domestic football after joining the Club he always dreamt of playing for during the January transfer window.

The 27-year-old returned to South Africa, following spells in Europe and is now firmly set on becoming an integral part of Nasreddine Nabi’s squad.

Growing up in KwaMashu, he was inspired early on to follow a career path in the beautiful game.

“I think it was innate in me, something natural. Football was all around me ekasi,´he tells www.kaizerchiefs.com, “My older cousin was seriously into football with the ambition of turning professional. I always followed him around and loved the football environment, so that inspired me to pursue a path in the game myself.”

Cele began his road to fame as most other young hopefuls do, joining a local junior team. His talent was soon recognised and opportunities presented themselves for him to develop into the player he has become today.

“I have had a tough, yet interesting journey so far,” he reveals, “I started ekasi, like every other young boy. I played for Induna Academy. Then I got to play for a more ‘professional’ academy, Stars of Africa, and from there I went back to Induna. After that, when I was about 15, I joined KZN Academy. I spent about a year and a half there before I got the opportunity to go to Portugal, where I played in the third division, and then on to Poland and Russia, and now I am back home.”

His exploits quickly came to the attention of the national selectors, who included him in squads at youth level before he ascended to the senior squad, where he competed in the COSAFA Cup and has been capped five times to date.

“It is always a dream for a young footballer to represent the national team at any level, through the age groups and ultimately to play for the country at a World Cup,” he says, adding, “My process started when I went to Portugal. I got my first call-up to the national U-20s. I did quite well. I was then fortunate enough to be selected to play for the U-23s in Olympic Games in 2020, and although we didn’t win, I played quite well. That led me to play for the senior team in COSAFA and gained great experience. It was a huge honour. Now, my ambition is to be part of the national squad, as Bafana Bafana are making good progress and I want to be a part of that. It has been my dream since I was a small child.”

Having played in Portugal and, most recently for Russian Premier League club Fakel Voronezh, Cele always harboured a strong desire to play for the team he has supported his whole life.

“I recently posted on social media my first interview from Portugal, about how we go to Europe trying to get into the big leagues over there, but ever since I was a kid, I wanted to play for Kaizer Chiefs because I love the Club, you know what I mean? Eventually, it happened. It has been a process because there were rumours floating around in previous years and now I am here. It was God’s plan for me,” he says.

With his ambition to sign for his boyhood team fulfilled< Cele discloses that the warmth he has received makes him feel right at home at Naturena.

“I don’t know how to explain the feeling. From the first minute I landed at the airport, the welcome I got from the Club was amazing, not only for me but for my family. People at home went crazy, calling me to say how happy they were,” he says, “So, for me, it’s a massive opportunity to be at such a big team and be able to grow as a player… and hopefully help the Club through this process, because we feel we are on the right track to ultimately win trophies again.”

He continues, “There is a sense of positivity from the guys in the squad, as well as everybody at the Club, even the security staff. I am also a guy who likes to exude positivity so it was really nice to come into this environment.”

Cele reserves special praise for the Amakhosi Faithful, the legions of loyal supporters he considers to be the best fans in football.

“I have to say, there are no supporters like ours. I think that’s a fact that everyone knows around the country. Their passion is unmatched anywhere,” he states, “As players, we know they are seeking joy and their support is very helpful to us; they motivate us to do well and we want to make them happy because that’s what they deserve. I feel the support and the whole Club really appreciates it.”

Ostensibly a deep lying midfielder, Cele knows his primary job is to tackle, win possession, distribute the ball and generally, maintain stability in the Chiefs engine room although, like any footballer, he dreams of scoring a goal in front of thousands of Amakhosi fans and embracing the adulation.

“Mainly, my aim is simply to help the team in any way I can, although I really want to experience the feeling of scoring a goal for Kaizer Chiefs,” he says in conclusion.